Visa to Turkmenistan: KoreaKonsult will issue an invitation letter for your tour. In order to obtain the visa you will need to submit the letter to the nearest Embassy of Turkmenistan and get the visa stamped to your passport. If there is no Embassy of Turkmenistan in your country this letter will let you obtain the visa on arrival in the Ashgabat airport.

UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY! Join our adventure to the most mysterious and unexplored country of Central Asia - TURKMENISTAN! It is going to be an unforgettable 6 nights /7 days journey, book your seat and join the adventure now!

Nowruz is the name of the Iranian New Year, also known as the Persian New Year, which is celebrated in Turkmenistan as well. It has been celebrated for over 3,000 years. Nowruz is the day of the vernal equinox, and marks the beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere. It usually occurs on March 21 or the previous/following day, depending on where it is observed. The moment the sun crosses the celestial equator and equalizes night and day is calculated exactly every year, and families gather together to observe the rituals.

Get a peek behind the most closed and the least-visited of Central Asia’s countries Turkmenistan is an ancient land of great spirituality, tradition and natural beauty. The capital city Ashgabat boasts many Guinness World Records such as the world’s largest flagpole; carpet; representation of a star; facility with the greatest number of fountains in a public space; and the biggest number of buildings made out of white marble!

ITINERARY

Info

The tour itinerary is a PRELIMINARY one. Korea Konsult reserves the right to change some parts of the itinerary below if needed. Eventual itinerary changes after the group arrival in Turkmenistan are beyond our control. Under no circumstances can Korea Konsult be held responsible for any itinerary changes.

Arrival in Ashgabat by morning flight. Ashgabat is capital and largest city of Turkmenistan even though it is relatively young city. In 2013 the Guinness Book of Records named Ashgabat “white marbled city” – here you can see the biggest number of structures in the world made out of the white marble

Transfer to the Grand Turkmen hotel 4*. Early check-in and free time

Free time. You can walk around the hotel; near the hotel, you can visit beautiful monument of Akhalteke horses, park of “Ylham” (Inspiration), “Altyn Asyr” trade market.

We will begin our tour in Ashgabat: you will visit Ruhyyet Palace, Wedding Palace, modern “Yildyz” Hotel, Ferries Wheel, Constitution Monument, Arch of Neutrality, Monument and park of Independence, Artogrul Gazy Mosque and other beauty sights of Ashgabat.

You will be also taken to grandiose Square of Revival (Galkynysh) - a new administrative, business and cultural center of Ashgabat. Have a stroll along Ylham (Inspiration) Park.

Drive 18 km from Ashgabat to Bagyr village to see Nissa fortress - the Sanctuary of Parthian Kings. UNESCO declared this fortress a World Heritage Site in 2007. Nissa was one of the first capitals of the Parthians. It was founded by Arsaces I (reigned 250 BC – 211 BC) and later Nissa became the royal necropolis of the Parthian Kings

Drive to Turkmen Yayla – participation in Novruz Bayram Celebration. Navruz (also called Noruz, Nowruz, Nowrooz, and Nawruz), the spring "New Year" holiday, has been celebrated for at least 3000 years, and perhaps for as long as 5,000 years. Originating in Persia and long associated with the ancient Zoroastrian religion, its name means "new day" in Farsi because for ancient Persians it marked the first day of the New Year. On this day, Persian kings would have worn a crown with images of the annual solar cycle on their heads, participated in the divine mass in the Temple of Fire, and distributed generous gifts to citizens. Today, by the scale of festivities organised on governement level Turkmenistan has become the center of celebrations of the International Day of Nowruz. The main festivities in honor of this holiday take place in the sub-mountain valley of Akhal, in the historic land storing the layers of ancient civilizations. According to the centuries-old tradition, a picturesque place in the open air, where the spring expanse best suits the spirit and scale of the long-awaited event, is chosen for the large-scale celebration. They set up a Turkmen village from the oriental tale, hospitable and welcoming, open to friends and neighbors. Yurts with well-attended courtyards, a high swing and big white yurt stand behind the symbolic gates.

Visit folk show, of five regions: Balkan, Ahal, Mary, Lebap and Dashoguz.
The first thing the guests will see is a colorful bazaar that spread out just behind the main entrance, where street trading is in full swing. The bazaar offeres the entire range of handicrafts - colorful souvenirs, hats, skullcaps, musical instruments, household items, painted pots, carpets and jewelry, national embroidery. This action is accompanied by ancient melodies and songs performed by Bakhshi (singer-narrator), who attracts emotional listeners. At some distance, Palvans (strong men) wrestle and cheerful national games go on. In the old days, there was a special place for such games in a crowded area. Erected in the festively decorated square, the mock-ups of famous historical monuments of Turkmenistan - Kunyaurgench, Ancient Merv, Dehistan, Anau etc. – strengthened the feeling of an exciting journey into the ancient times.

Drive to Gokdepe fortress that is associated with the battle in December 1880 when 6,000 Russian troops under General Mikhail Skobelev defeated 25,000 defenders of the fortress. Gokdepe Mosque was built to commemorate this defeat and it is famous for its mint-turquoise colored doom and white marble structure

Visit horse farm to see over 30 beautiful Akhalteke horses – the pride of Turkmen people. Turkmens began breeding Akhalteke horses about 5,000 years ago and the result is amazing! These horses cannot interbreed with any other horses. Ancient rulers such as Alexander the Great and Darius I owned one of these horses

OVERNIGHT: Grand Turkmen Hotel ****

Mar 25 (Wed): Departure

Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to the International airport of Ashgabat and fly out back home